


Of Puppies and Puppy Eyes #2

by The_Consulting_Werewolf



Series: We All Need More Krisho in Our Lives (A Domestic AU Series) [26]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, M/M, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-18 01:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18975718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Consulting_Werewolf/pseuds/The_Consulting_Werewolf
Summary: In which, a second puppy is acquired but not before a fun family trip.





	Of Puppies and Puppy Eyes #2

**Author's Note:**

> the events of this fic are set in 2026

It hasn’t even been a whole year since Byul came into their lives but now, here they are, at this open-air adoption centre, surrounded by puppies and Junmyeon can’t fathom how they ended up here. On one hand, it is endearing to watch his husband and his two boys laughing and getting run over by puppies, but on the other hand, he knows deep down that he will not be able to leave without either Kyungsoo or Zitao sending him puppy eyes to let them take home another dog (and he’s pretty sure Yifan will take their side too). He looks down at the small pup in his lap and he sighs. They brought Byul with them as well, who is having a lot of fun too, yipping at the tails of the smaller dogs. At two, Byul has grown a lot and her energy is boundless. She doesn’t let her one blind eye to disrupt her total enjoyment of her life and Junmyeon loves that about her so much. He even made her into a permanent character in his new series. Yifan is already brimming with ideas to best illustrate Byul in the new book.

Today was supposed to be a fun family day. They had a long weekend, so Yifan suggested going for a long drive and setting up a picnic somewhere and when night comes, they can stay at a nearby dog-friendly hotel or pension. Then, they can head eastwards towards the sea and hang around a beach for another day. The idea was agreed upon immediately. Thus, the family packed their essentials and jumped into the car after a hearty breakfast. As they stopped for lunch in a park, Kyungsoo spied the advertisement for the rescue dog centre and they decided to go.

It is a lovely little place run by a family of five. They have dogs of every age here and so far, Junmyeon can see all of the animals are well-kept. They also have a couple of rescue cats and even a horse for some reason. Zitao wasn’t too fond of the horse and started fidgeting immediately when he saw it. But his behaviour changed when one of the employees showed them to the puppy enclosure. Junmyeon realised the man is thinking that they are here to adopt. Junmyeon bites down on his lip and tries to attract Yifan’s attention but his husband is too busy being attacked by some adolescent Labradors.

Another employee comes and she introduces herself as the daughter of the owner. She is a young girl of twenty or twenty-two. She introduces herself, “Hi, I am Hayoung. Are you looking to adopt? I see you have a dog and she’s so well-behaved!”

Junmyeon laughs, “We try. And uh,” he rubs his neck, “We don’t know about the adoption.”

The girl laughs, “No problem.” She watches Byul rolling on her back and letting three puppies jump on her. “Say, mister Kim, where are you staying? There is a dog-friendly pension in the next town over.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widen, “Next town?”

“Yes, it’s a two-hour drive. I can give you the address if you want.”

The sun was inching towards the west, so Junmyeon nods, “I see. Thank you Hayoung.” She shows him the way to the pension and leaves a pamphlet with him, just in case.

Junmyeon goes over to Yifan and says, “Fan, there are no hotels that welcome dogs in this town, we have another two-hour drive for that.”

Yifan sighs, prying this grey puppy off his t-shirt. “Okay, okay, we gotta go. I will get Kyungsoo, you get Zitao and Byul.”

Byul is easier to pry off the puppies than Zitao of course, but Junmyeon uses his secret weapon: a promise (read: bribe) of ice-cream after dinner. However, at the other end of the field, Junmyeon finds Yifan doubling over Kyungsoo and stroking his hair. Yifan cups Kyungsoo’s cheeks and the latter pouts but nods. Junmyeon feels his heart clenching a bit—he can guess what sort of conversation his elder and his baba are having. Yifan manages to convince Kyungsoo, it seems, when the two walk up towards Junmyeon.

The family makes their way back to their car and Zitao is dozing as soon as Yifan starts the car. Kyungsoo, however, is quite and looking out of the window, his lower lip jutting out. Junmyeon turns his head to look at his son and he presses his lips. Yifan too notices Kyungsoo’s quietness and he shares a look with his husband. The pamphlet weighs heavily in Junmyeon’s pocket.

 

The pension is clean, inexpensive and most importantly, mostly empty. There is only one couple and the Kim-Wu family. They are given a room by a small lake that Yifan realises is a shed or barn refurbished and it is big enough for the five of them. It is redone as a loft apartment and the kids take the second level before anyone can ask. Junmyeon and Yifan take the bed beneath the loft. The small kitchen space has everything in it besides ingredients to cook with but Junmyeon has spotted the nearest convenience store while getting to the pension, so he sends Yifan and Zitao to get them dinner and some perishable items for breakfast. Meanwhile, Byul is already close to napping in the dog bed pushed by the fireplace. She had a tough day too, riding in a car for so long. Junmyeon lets her be but makes a note to take her out when she wakes up.

As his husband and youngest leave, Junmyeon climbs the ladder to get on the second level. This space is quite charming with two matching wrought iron beds with bright blue bedspreads. The window between the beds is decorated with fairy lights and Kyungsoo seems to unblinkingly stare at the twinkling lights. Junmyeon smiles slightly when he realises Kyungsoo is in his deep thought position where he has his feet up against the wall and stares into nothing. Junmyeon sits down by his head and cards his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair. Kyungsoo tilts his head back slightly and asks, “Yes, appa?”

“Tired?” Junmyeon mutters.

Kyungsoo squeezes his eyes and then smiles, “A little. Today was fun. Where will we go tomorrow?”

Junmyeon chuckles, “Well if your baba doesn’t take any detours, we will be closer to the sea. Though I hear they have some pretty cool things to see here as well.”

“Do you think Byul will like the sea?”

‘’She has been having fun till now, I think she will.”

As if on cue, they hear Byul barking. Junmyeon says, “Ah, she woke up.”

Kyungsoo gets to his feet in an instant and says, “I will take her out appa, don’t worry!”

Junmyeon was about to disagree but then he remembers the whole place is well-lit and the path is paved with directions and Kyungsoo is very diligent and cautious enough for a ten-year-old. Yet, he still says, “Okay, but don’t go too far.”

“I won’t!”

Kyungsoo is climbing down the ladder as Junmyeon shouts, “And don’t take too long!”

“Okay!”

Junmyeon is left completely alone, so he decides to ready the beds for the night. He locates the blankets and pillows. Though it is the end of summer, the weather cools down when it rains and it may rain any time, so he puts the blankets he finds on Kyungsoo and Zitao’s bed. He is dusting his and Yifan bed when the door opens to Yifan, Zitao, Kyungsoo and Byul. Junmyeon is all smiles till he notices the smudge of chocolate on Zitao’s chin. He frowns and puts his hands on his hips, glaring at Yifan, “Did you let him eat an ice cream already? Before dinner?”

Yifan chuckles, sheepishly, “Myeon, it was just one small bar, don’t worry.”

“I didn’t even pick the bigger ice cream appa!” Zitao tries to convince Junmyeon, who just sighs. The older man comes closer and swipes the chocolate away, smiling, “Okay, okay, now go clean up.”

They had a small outdoor grilling station, so Yifan and Junmyeon start on the samgyeopsal as their children and Byul play around the lake. They call on the children when the vegetables and meat are done. Yifan pulls out the dog food he got Byul and places a bowl in front of her. Byul is a bit hesitant because of the unknown bowl but the smell of the food is known to her, so she slowly inches closer to the bowl anyway. Yifan heaves a sigh of relief and returns to the dining table.

They decide to leave clean-up for the next day and get ready for bed. Yifan takes the bathroom first, so Junmyeon makes sure both his sons brush their teeth and change for bed. He takes a shower after Yifan is done. When he returns, it has started raining as he had expected and he finds Yifan drawing on his tablet, with his spectacles on and a small smile playing on the corner of his lips on their bed. Junmyeon rubs the towel in his hair and sits down beside Yifan, peeking over his shoulder at the drawing. He smiles when he realises what Yifan is doing—he is working on the character design for Byul’s namesake. He says, “It’s cute.”

“I’m trying,” Yifan chuckles. “I’m glad I have the author’s approval!”

“Well, you’re married to him,” Junmyeon hums. He kisses Yifan’s temple and puts his head on the latter’s shoulder. “Kyungsoo has been awfully quiet, hasn’t he?”

“Mm, I noticed,” Yifan says as he closes his tab, having saved the design.

“I found him in his deep thinking pose. Do you think he wanted another dog?”

Yifan shifts slightly, throwing his arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder. Junmyeon too shifts and puts his head on Yifan’s chest. “I think he kind of got attached to this small terrier. I mean, the thing looked like a terrier but honestly, I’m not sure. It has to be the blackest fur I have ever seen on an animal.”

“Did he tell you anything? Back at the centre?”

“Yeah, he did,” Yifan sighs. “I mean, Myeon, we can afford another dog, and Byul would like the company, don’t you think?”

Junmyeon hums, thinking about how Kyungsoo takes a lot of responsibilities when it comes to Byul already at his age that is both surprising and endearing—but then again their oldest is one little responsible man since they adopted Zitao. He says, “Let’s not rush it.”

Yifan laughs and lies down, dragging Junmyeon with him. He uses his other hand to shut the light off beside their bed and says, “I’m not saying to rush off tomorrow, Myeon! We still have two more days! The sea awaits, and the national park!”

Junmyeon raises an eyebrow, “That reminds me, if you take another detour tomorrow, I will throw you into the sea.”

Yifan moves in for a quick kiss and grins, “No promises, mister Kim.”

Junmyeon narrows his eyes but the kiss makes him smile. He whispers after kissing back Yifan, “I’m glad we are doing this, you know. This was so spontaneous and I was so worried, but I am glad we did this.”

Yifan smiles; he knows how much Junmyeon abhors spontaneity at times but when the wheels begin to turn, he slowly gets used to things. It reminds him of the very first Valentines’ Day they spent. He cups Junmyeon face and kisses him properly, softly, and slowly. When he breaks for air, he whispers, “I’m glad you didn’t kill me for this yet.”

Junmyeon chuckles, “No promises, mister Wu.”

 

Next morning, after breakfast, the five of them start their journey to the sea. They are in the Gangwon province, heading towards Naksan beach. Zitao is excited—this is his first trip to the sea. Kyungsoo had been with them when they went to Okinawa a few years ago but Zitao’s excitement is infectious, so he too is looking forward to it a lot. Junmyeon takes the wheel this time with Yifan navigating. Yifan is also looking up places where they can stay with Byul. After searching for some time, he sighs, “Myeon, there isn’t anything Byul-friendly, what an anti-dog agenda.”

“Nothing?” Junmyeon says, trying hard to hide the anxiety in his voice.

“But, there’s a park where they allow people to camp.”

“We don’t have camping stuff!”

“Camp?” Zitao asks, his eyes widening.

Kyungsoo too gasps and the brothers are grinning, their eyes sparkling and Junmyeon gives in, “Fine, I guess we can rent some stuff. I mean, we already have some bread and eggs left, and we have more than enough dog food…”

Yifan holds back his chuckle. He isn’t the only pushover in the household when it comes to their kids, no matter how much Junmyeon denies it. He finds a bunch of rental stores online and keeps a note of them. He tells them about the temple and the national park, Junmyeon puts a halt on Yifan’s planning, “No, we do the temple if we get there by lunch and the national park tomorrow. We can drive back to Seoul by evening. We will be home in three to four hours.”

“Okay, okay,” Yifan nods, agreeing easily. He is still scrolling through the website when he lands on the food part. “Oh, look at this, they have amazing seafood, mussels and crayfish!” He says with rising disappointment till he finds more information and then he sighs in relief, “Gosh, they have food for non-fish lovers like me too, thank goodness.”

Zitao peers over Yifan’s shoulder and giggles when he reads the screen, “But baba, you don’t like chicken either.”

“Fish is the greater evil than chicken, Taozi,” Yifan solemnly says. Zitao sees right through his father’s acting and ends up laughing.

The conversation is halted when Junmyeon turns a corner and the sea comes into view. Kyungsoo and Zitao yelp in joy when they see the blue waters and the sand, even Byul barks excitedly at the view. Yifan spots a camp rental immediately and asks Junmyeon to stop the car. He gets down and heads inside the shop. Junmyeon keeps watch from outside; a little old lady is talking to Yifan and she turns her head towards the car. The kids wave at her and she smiles, waving back. Then, she takes Yifan deeper into the shop to show him the ware.

Some minutes later, Yifan exits the shop and beckons at Junmyeon to come with him. Junmyeon turns around and says, “Okay you two, stay put, I’ll be right back.”

The kids nod and Junmyeon gets down from the car. He walks inside the shop and takes a look at the things Yifan has chosen. The tent, the blankets, pillows and cooking utensils are clean and the tent looks sturdy enough. They rent the things out and head back to the car. Soon, they are back on the road, driving by the sea, looking for a space to set camp. Junmyeon and Yifan both went camping last years before their marriage, so Junmyeon can’t lie, he’s sort of excited about it too.

A spot in a small park, under a tree, is chosen and Junmyeon sets the tent up with Kyungsoo and Zitao’s help (more like excited interference but Junmyeon didn’t want to stop them). Yifan takes a walk around, looking at restaurants and the small shops strewn around the beach. Naksan beach is beautiful and less crowded, lined with pine trees and Yifan spots many quirky sculptures. When he returns, Kyungsoo runs up to him and asks, “Baba, baba, can we go surfing?” Kyungsoo had seen people on the water and he knows what surfing is thanks to this show he watched a while ago.

Yifan quickly looks at Junmyeon for approval who just shrugs. Well, the waves aren’t too big and it doesn’t look too dangerous, so he nods. Kyungsoo invites Zitao but he isn’t too keen, he rather keep Junmyeon company. Thus, Yifan and Kyungsoo head for the shop renting out surfing boards. Meanwhile, Junmyeon, Zitao and Byul decide to just splash around in the water.

An hour passes and Yifan starts to think the sea at Naksan might not be a sea but a giant lake instead—the waves are that small. But it is the perfect kind of “extreme sport” for his son, and Kyungsoo is having fun. The water is cool and clear, so Yifan spends most of his time hovering around Kyungsoo. The instructor tried to get Yifan on a surfboard but he doesn’t trust his limbs on a plank of wood suspended over water. Kyungsoo falls more times than he stays upright but he is too happy and Yifan is happy watching his son have fun. Kyungsoo is learning how to swim, so Yifan wasn’t that anxious every time Kyungsoo fell down his board. His determination to get back on it was admirable.

They finally return and Kyungsoo is sopping wet. Junmyeon had already got out a set of clothes from their bags and he takes Kyungsoo to the public shower. They return to their camping site to find Zitao and Yifan frowning over the latter’s mobile phone. Junmyeon grins, “What has got you two thinking so deeply?”

Zitao answers, “We’re trying to find a restaurant that has fish _and_ chicken.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes as he rubs Kyungsoo’s hair with a towel. He had spread a huge towel in front of their tent and they are all seated on it. Byul flops down on Kyungsoo’s lap as Junmyeon comments, “Fan, you eat shrimp. You can survive this, stop being so dramatic. I want to eat mussels.”

“Appa, what’re mussels?” Kyungsoo asks. “I want to try!”

Junmyeon smiles, feeling his victory inching closer, “See, it will be a new experience for the kids.”

Yifan gives in, sighing, “Fine, guess I will just chew on banchan today.”

Yifan, fortunately, doesn’t have to eat his rice with side dishes alone. He gets to order fried shrimp while Junmyeon gets his spicy fish stew with mussels. The sauced and grilled eel and seaweed pancakes are a hit with Zitao while Kyungsoo enjoys the stew and the fried gizzard shad. They end up at an ice cream shop after their lunch, on the behest of Zitao of course. Junmyeon is too full, so he passes but Zitao eats a serving of blueberry ice cream all on his own while Kyungsoo and Yifan share a cup of chocolate ice cream.

After their ice creams are finished, they head towards the Nakansa Temple. It is not too far from the beach, so they walk. The temple is atop a cliff and the walk is scenic. They stop many times to take pictures. The whole of Naksan and Yangyang towns can be seen from this height and it is not too crowded. They walk around the grounds, soaking in the peace and quiet. They reach a pavilion at a cliff’s edge, and they take a break, just gazing at the calm, cerulean waters. Zitao whispers, “So pretty.”

They return to the beach as the sun sets. The boardwalk by the beach comes alive after sunset and the family pause in awe when they see the Disco Ponies, or horse-drawn carriages all lit up and riding up and down the main strip while blasting the recent pop songs. Obviously, the kids want a ride and their parents agree, though they have to part with twenty thousand won, which is a little steep. Even Zitao’s initial dislike of horses is reduced to nothing during the ride. The ride stops at a small shopping centre and they get down to go explore the market. Junmyeon buys some freshly made fish sticks that Yifan grimaces at. Yifan, however, takes pictures and soon gets roped in a game. It is one of those carnival games where he has to aim at cans. He wins the three out of five games and wins both Zitao and Kyungsoo soft toys; Junmyeon gets one too just because it is a rabbit plushie (Junmyeon responds with pinching Yifan’s elbow).

They opt for a light dinner and head back to their tent. Byul was left alone with her food and water bowls, and they return to her guarding their things well. None of them feels too sleepy, so they huddle in front of the tent and Junmyeon tunes into the local radio station. An old trot song comes on and Yifan sings along to it, off-key and exaggerates every high note. They all end up laughing and Yifan drags Junmyeon to dance with him. Zitao, Kyungsoo and Byul cheer for them, the kids erupting into giggles. The next song is a new pop song and the kids join in. They fall exhausted on the ground after four songs. They are all tangled up but still laughing. The stars above blink at them and Yifan can’t help but think his life is great indeed.

 

They head to the national park the next morning with Byul in tow. It’s a bit farther from the beach but Seoraksan National Park is worth the drive. They started towards the park after returning their rented items. Yifan quickly whipped up French toasts for breakfast and Junmyeon grabbed coffees from the nearest shop.

When they reach the park, the jagged cliffs and the lush greenery makes them all gasp. Since they came here for the first time, the girl at the entrance kiosk tells them to check out Oeseorak first since the peak is easier to access than the other peaks, and the views here are spectacular. They head on to the hiking trails as well and go see the huge bronze statue of the Buddha in the Sinheungsa Temple and then the unique granite formation called Ulsanbawi Rock. They even hop onto a cable car that takes them up to Gwongeumseong, a stone fortress at the top of the Seoraksan Mountain and the view from there takes their breath away (until Byul finds a squirrel and ends up chasing it, amusing her humans a lot).

As planned, they grab a quick lunch at a rest stop and start their journey back home. Yifan and Junmyeon decide to change places at the one and half hour mark. When Yifan takes his break, Junmyeon realises they are close to the adoption centre. The pamphlet is in the glove compartment and as Yifan heads inside a convenience store with the kids, Junmyeon grabs it and leans against the car. He looks over the information printed on it and Byul nudges her wet nose against his forearm through the window. He murmurs, “What do you say Byul? Do you want a sibling?”

Byul barks in response and wags his tail. Junmyeon scratches her head to show he appreciates her approval a lot in this matter. When his family returns, he gets on the driver’s seat as Yifan hands him the bottle of iced peach tea. He takes one sip and says, “So, we should pay a visit to the adoption centre, hm?”

Kyungsoo was eating chips and he chokes on them. Zitao too goes quiet and just widens his eyes. Yifan too is taken aback. Byul barking brings them back to their senses and the kids shriek in joy. Yifan grins, “Yeah, yeah we should.”

 

(Therefore, that day, when they return home, they return as six. Kyungsoo holds the little one-year-old terrier in his arms and he names her Mokmul because she is so inky black. Needless to say, everyone loves her already.)

 

 

 

 


End file.
